The rain beating down on the roof grew steadily stronger and made it difficult to hear. The temperature in the room soared as it was packed with people, but no relief was to be found despite the rain outside. Faces gleamed with perspiration in the thick, damp air.

One of my fondest memories of our son, Brent's, early childhood began when he was no more than three years old. Brent delighted in putting his little feet into my big shoes and walking around the house in them. Of course, my shoes swallowed his little feet. However, he loved playing with my big shoes.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday."

To Lincoln, learning was both an orientation and a daily adventure to be explored throughout life. People who are truly effective in what they do generally did not get that way by sitting still; they have applied themselves to constant or continuous learning.

Love wins, really, it does. But how does love win? That is the question that requires an answer.
 
Lately, there has been considerable controversy about God's love and what it means when we say "love wins." Some suggest that love wins by finally overlooking one's lack of response to God's redemptive offer of grace. Others may suggest that love wins because prevenient grace is enough; love ignores a person's unwillingness to submit to the call of God to live a righteous and holy life.
 

Love wins, really, it does. But how does love win? That is the question that requires an answer.
 
Lately, there has been considerable controversy about God's love and what it means when we say "love wins." Some suggest that love wins by finally overlooking one's lack of response to God's redemptive offer of grace. Others may suggest that love wins because prevenient grace is enough; love ignores a person's unwillingness to submit to the call of God to live a righteous and holy life.
 

Over the last few months I have participated in some interesting conversations.

On Sundays in the Nazarene church I attended as a child, it was expected that we sing a rousing, and I do mean rousing, rendition of "Jesus Loves the Little Children." Enthusiastically, we emphasized the all in "all the children of the world" and sang to a resounding finale, "They are precious in his sight." Sunday after Sunday, Ina Quiggins or Roberta Jones would remind us that children were, indeed, precious.

That chorus laid a foundation for my research on grieving children. Jesus had to have known or encountered grieving children.

It's almost impossible to get to the site where Samarite Dessuisseau has convened this meeting.

The road, if you can call it that, is dirt, gravel, boulders, dry river beds, hard right turns, and harder left turns. Make sure you have enough momentum going to make it up the final steep climb. Few cars, trucks, or vans can make it. Bring extra tires. If you can, use a rental vehicle and leave your own back home. Motorcycles can do it. Most people walk. It's a hard road that's been under construction for a long time.